12 Responses

Hey, a week of tricksy typing in times like these is merely civic virtue.

Good on you. California still has a lovely paper ballot, so next week I intend to vote early-ish–and take Sarcasm Girl, who will be voting for the first time and is deeply thrilled. And in the evening I’ll be at Frosting class, so I won’t have to give in to the temptation to obsess over election results…until I get home.

In the 51st state where our vote usually never counts, I’ll take my traditional, leisurely stroll 1.5 miles to Ben Parker Elementary School Cafeteria–yes, that’s what my voter registration card sez; why they felt it important to make that distinction we’ll never know… it’s not like I’ll go to one of the classrooms or library and shoutout, “Hey, where are the voting booths?”–and proudly vote on election day.
You’ve probably already seen ‘Video the Vote’ on BoingBoing. Recommend it to all.

I actually enjoy going to cast my vote on election day. It feels a more tangible expression of my civic participation than mailing in a ballot or going early whenever I feel like it. The ritual aspect touches me for some reason.

One of the many wonderful things about life in Seattle is the whole vote-by-mail deal — in addition to living in one of the bluest neighborhoods in town. Ballots went out in the mail on 10/15, and we received ours the next day, along with one of the most comprehensive voter’s guide it’s ever been my pleasure to consult. Took a leisurely three days to get around to and fill in SAT-style ovals in dark ink, with write-in option available.

Casey, I don’t want to sound alarmist but do you know what happens if your ballot is rejected when they run it thru the computer reader? We fill out our ballots and then queue up to have them read in. During the primary, several ballots were rejected (including mine) because of anomalous printing flaws–mere specks– that were read by the computer as double selections. An official had to invalidate and record my ballot number, and then another official issued me a new ballot, crossing out the old and recording the new one against my name. It was an interest exercise to ensure one vote per voter.

I was supposed to be a Poll Inspector at the last election (in California) but got sick the night before. I can attest that the training you get is all about the procedures for keeping the process as honest as possible. We had an electronic voting machine, but it was the individual’s choice to use it or a paper ballot. I’d be curious to know how many people opted for the machine.

Hmmm.I didn’t note a choice between paper and electronic ballot. I’ll have to ask next wk.
Oh, and I forgot the step where the invalidated ballot was placed in a envelop and sealed and witnessed by two election officials. Serious stuff.

I voted, too. I’ll be a poll watcher on tuesday, and I’ve been working on campaigns that I hope will spare me the humiliation of explaining how Alaska ended up with Palin, Young, and Stevens (all under investigation for corruption, one convicted) as elected officials.